What a Surprise!!!

It was my 25th Birthday. It was the middle of winter, a Friday night in July, brass monkey weather in fact! Darkening skies early. Freezing cold….

It was early evening and I had been at work all day when my friend Jennifer suggested we go late-night shopping. So she picked me up and we went into town. There were quite a lot of people all bustling around on this dark Winter’s night quite intent on getting their shopping down quickly so that they could get home to their warm houses as soon as was practicable.

Yet despite the cold there was almost a welcoming feel as the air was scented with that lovely combination of coffee roasting and food cooking.

I had my small son with me. He was about 4 years old and all rugged up against the cold, however, he was very tired as he had been at the child care centre all day and was a little antsy. And basically, who could blame him!

But, whenever I suggested going home my dear friend kept finding things for us to do, really necessary things to do! Things that just could not be put off.

At last our shopping was completed and we headed home.

Well as I previously advised it was my birthday but the “man of the house” appeared to have forgotten all about it!

The fact is I thought he was out with his friends so I was miffed. Really miffed. The little girl in me was most upset!

It was about 9.00 pm when we finally arrived home and the house looked so lonely. Dark, no lights on, cold.

So there I was on the doorstep fiddling with my keys trying to get the door open and getting crosser and crosser by the minute. And my words went something like this:

”B….y M. where on earth are you?”

It was quite late by now and, it had been a very long day, plus I had one tired, cold little boy to put to bed.

My birthday had been overlooked . Really just another day on the family calendar. Poor me!

No husband to be seen anywhere.

And you could say that I probably could be heard to be muttering under my breath as I was opening the front door. I may also have been using the odd not so friendly word as well and quite likely not very quietly either.

Well, I finally wrenched the door open to be greeted with “Surprise, Surprise!” by a ton of people.

I certainly was surprised. And highly embarrassed. My immediate thought being I hope that they - as in the guests in my house - had not heard me muttering somewhat rudely at my front door!

BTW have I mentioned I categorically do not like surprise parties.

Still, my reaction to my surprise party was not as bad as the one I heard about where the lady of the house thought she was being taken out to dinner by her loving husband.

She had taken a shower and while she was luxuriating under the warm flowing waters her enterprising husband was busy spiriting guests into their home getting them to hide - quietly - wherever they could fit without being seen!

But this, of course, was all unbeknownst to her so after she had stepped out of her shower, she sashayed out to her husband wrapped only in her bath towel and asked…

“Darling, do you think we have time for a quickie before we go out?”

Surprise! Surprise!

Somehow I don’t think she will be living that one down for quite some time!

If ever!